Late 1800’s – Vietnam becomes a French Colony
1924- Ho Chi Minh starts Vietnamese Independence Movement
Ho Chi Minh creates Communist Party in Vietnam, is exiled to USSR and China but stays involved
1940 Japanese take Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh returns to fight Japanese for independence (with US support)
Declares independence in 1945
France returns in 1945, supported by USFrance fights for control of VietnamUS sends over $1billion to helpGoal is to contain CommunismFrance loses war, leaves
“Domino Theory”If one country falls to the
Communists, more will follow
Ends French Indochina
Divides it into Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
Vietnam divided between Communist North and anti-Communist South on the 17th parallel
Ngo Dinh Diem is
the leader of South
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh leads
the north
They agree to have
elections in 1956
Diem refuses to
hold elections,
becomes
totalitarian
Eisenhower and Diem
Vietcong form in 1957Southern opposition
to DiemCommunist
Ho Chi Minh TrailPath through Laos
and Cambodia used to arm Vietcong
Goes through jungles
US sends 16,000 troops by 1963 to train South Vietnamese troops
Goal: Contain Communism
Problem: Diem unpopular and Vietcong are growing
This is a CIVIL war
Diem is a problemMoves villagesAttacks Buddhists,
jailing leaders and burning temples
US decides to oust DiemArranges military
coupDiem is assassinated
Nov. 1, 1963
South Vietnam is unstable
Aug. 2, 1964 - North Vietnamese boat fires on USS Maddox in Tonkin Gulf
They report same thing 2 days later and return fire
Report is questionable
Johnson persuades Congress to pass Tonkin Gulf Resolution
NOT a declaration of war
Johnson uses this to bomb North Vietnam and send 50,000 soldiers to battle Vietcong
President can take “all necessary measures to repeal any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.”
US increases ground war in Vietnam, believing defeat of Communism in Vietnam is essential.
By Dec. 1965, 180,000 troops in Vietnam
By 1967, 500,000 US troops in Vietnam
American Commander in South Vietnam
Un-Impressed with Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
“Only possible response is the aggressive deployment of US troops”.
Fight a “War of Attrition” by wearing down the Vietcong
Win over villagers in rural areas if possible
Conduct search and destroy missions where Vietcong are hiding, even if it means killing civilians
To root Vietcong out of tunnels, US uses
Napalm – gasoline based bomb that sets fire to the jungle
Agent Orange – leaf killing toxic chemical that wipes out jungles
These hurt civilians and cause cancer later
Americans begin to oppose war
Opposition starts with students who are being drafted into a conflict that they believe the US should not be involved in
Martin Luther King Jr. also opposes the war
Marches and Protests are held
Tet Offensive – January 30, 1968Tet is the Vietnamese New Year US forces expect calm
North Vietnamese state major offensive attack, taking much of South Vietnam and attacking the American Embassy in Saigon
40,ooo North Vietnamese and Vietcong dieOver 100,000 civilian casualties and millions left
refugees
1600 Americans die and 8000 wounded
Leads a broad section of Americans to question being in the war and increases anti-war movement
60% of Americans oppose the War“The Living Room War” – people watch on TV
President Johnson decides not to run for re-election after Anti-War Senator Eugene McCarthy nearly beats him in Presidential PrimariesJohnson also said that the US would seek
negotiations to end the warRobert F. Kennedy enters the race for President
1968 becomes a turbulent year
April 4 – Martin Luther King assassinated in MemphisViolence breaks out in 100 cities
June 4 – Robert F. Kennedy wins California Primary, is assassinated
College Campus protests attract 40,000 at 100 campusesColumbia University buildings taken over by
students for one week, 900 are arrested
10,000 protesters arrive to protest convention in Chicago
Mayor sends out 12,000 police and 5000 National Guard
Aug. 28 protesters meet at park to march, police beat crowd with nightsticks and spray mace
Some protesters fight back, entire thing is caught on TV
Riots spread to downtown streets, protesters scream “The whole world is watching”.
Richard Nixon is Republican CandidateWill restore law and order, end conflict in Vietnam
Hubert Humphrey, Johnson’s VP is Democrat CandidateLast man standing for the Democrats
George Wallace, “Dixiecrat” Gov. of Alabama, runs on segregation and states
rights platform
Nixon Wins
Through “Vietnamization”, US troops will withdraw and give South Vietnamese a greater roleAugust 1969 20,000 troops come homeWithin 3 years, troops drop from 500,000 to 25,000Policy developed by Secretary of State Henry
KissingerWants “Peace with Honor”
US needs to maintain dignity
Nixon still continues bombings, says his gradual policies will appeal to the “silent majority”
NY Times reports tha in March 16, 1968 US troops massacred civilians in My Lai in South Vietnam
When no Vietcong were found in village, they massacred over 200 people at orders of Lt. William Calley, Jr.
Directive: “Kill anything that breathed”.Calley goes to jail
My Lai increases opposition to war
1970 – Nixon invades Cambodia to root out Vietcong
1.5 million students protest, close down 1200 campises
May 4 - At Kent State University in Ohio, students burn down ROTC buildingNational Guard fire into student protestersNine wounded, four killedSimilar protest at Jackson State leads to 12
wounded and 2 killed 10 days later
December 21, 1970 – Congress repeals Tonkin Gulf ResolutionLimits President’s ability to act
October 26, 1972 – Nixon agrees to withdraw troops even if North Vietnam will not leave South Vietnam
December 16, 1972 – Talks between US, South Vietnam and North Vietnam break off, Nixon drops 100,000 bombs on Hanoi and Haiphong
January 27, 1973 – Nixon signs agreement to end war, leave Vietnam
March 29, 1973 – US troops leave Vietnam
1975 – Saigon Falls to North58,000 troops killed , 303,000 wounded on US
Side2 million Vietnamese dieVeterans are not welcomed at home
15% of the 3 million who served have PSTDMany become drug addicted, homeless
South Asia remains in turmoilWar is a scar on AmericaPENTAGON PAPERS show that the troop levels
and body counts were falsified
November 1973
President must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending troops to a hostile area without declaration of war
Troops cannot remain there more than 90 days without a declaration of war from Congress